The present invention starts out from EP 1 760 027 A1, from which an end-connector is known comprising a housing with two side walls and a back wall. Two wrapping elements, which in the first embodiment have a circular, in the second embodiment a wedge-shaped, cross section extend between the two side walls and are wrapped by a poly V belt in a specified arrangement in which the poly V belt, starting from a load-free dead end, first partially wraps an upper wrapping element and is guided from this to the second wrapping element, and partially wraps this in the opposite direction. From the second wrapping element, the poly V belt is guided back to the first wrapping element, wraps this in the same direction, and is led out of the housing as the loaded suspension-means end. Through the second wrapping of the first wrapping element, under tensile loading the poly V belt presses the underlying layer against the first wrapping element and thus frictionally engages the poly V belt in the end-connector.
Through this specified arrangement, the poly V belt can be simply and safely held fast in the end-connector. For this to ensure self-locking, the poly V belt must wrap the wrapping elements in exactly the specified arrangement. Should the poly V belt, for example, not wrap the first wrapping element, no self-locking occurs, and under tensile loading the poly V belt would slip out of the end-connector. If, for example, on the other hand, the direction of routing is not adhered to, so that the poly V belt, starting from the loaded suspension-means end, wraps first the first, then in opposite direction the second, and finally in the same direction again the first wrapping element, so that the lower layer of the twice-wrapped first wrapping element emerges from the end-connector as loaded suspension-means end, under tension the first belt layer is not pressed onto the first wrapping element by the upper belt layer, so that also in this case no self-locking occurs and under tensile loading the poly V belt slips out of the end-connector.
Nevertheless, even with such faulty wrapping arrangements, frictional forces can withstand a limited tensile load so that through—especially manual—application of a verifying tensile force on the poly V belt, the correct wrapping in the specified arrangement that produces the self-locking effect cannot be reliably deduced. The faulty wrapping arrangement then only becomes apparent under increased tensile force or in operation of the elevator.
Starting from here, the present invention sets itself the task of creating an end-connector for flat-belt type suspension means that functions safely, is easily installable, and reduces the risk of a faulty wrapping arrangement.